Madhya Pradesh Assembly clears Finance Bill, 2020; adjourned sine die

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly was

on Monday adjourned sine die after passing the Finance Bill, 2020 and conducting some other important legislative works.

While 78 MLAs were present in the House during the one-day session, 23 attended it virtually, an official said. All those came to the House were subjected to thermo and pulse meter checks for coronavirus infection, he said.

The session lasted for one-and-a-half hours during which the Finance Bill, that allows the state government to carry out its expenses, was passed.

The Madhya Pradesh Moneylender Amendment Bill, 2020, the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Law Amendment Bill, 2020 and the Madhya Pradesh VAT Amendment Bill, 2020, among others, were also passed.

In the absence of state Finance Minister Jagdish Devda, Parliamentary Affairs Narottam Mishra presented the Finance Bill-2020 in the House.

After the passage of the bills, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in his statement said Madhya Pradesh tackled the COVID-19 situation better than other states.

He said better arrangements have been made for the treatment of COVID-19 in the state.

Intervening in Chouhans statement, Leader of Opposition Kamal Nath highlighted problems being faced by COVID-19 patients, like non-availability of oxygen and ventilators, among others, and demanded setting up of an open inquiry into it.

The senior Congress leader also demanded a complaint centre where public can register their grievances.

After Chouhan's speech, Protem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma adjourned the House sine die (with no appointed date for resumption).

Earlier, the House paid tributes to 21 prominent leaders who recently died, including former president Pranab Mukherjee, former Madhya Pradesh governor Lalji Tandon, Chhattisgarh's former chief minister Ajit Jogi and former Union minister Hansraj Bharadwaj.

The protem speaker also mentioned about the Indian soldiers martyred in the border clash at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, the Baramulla terror attack and those who fell prey to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Members observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect for the departed souls.